And 2017 Was Supposed To Be Better

And 2017 Was Supposed To Be Better

Well the bad news didn't stop coming with the new year, as we'd all hoped, and this time it is a lot closer to home for Shaunna and myself.

As some of you would know, Shaunna is in Tasmania visiting with her Daughter, Bianca, and her grandchildren, but sadly this trip hasn't turned out as happy as previous ones. While Shaunna and Bianca were in Launceston taking care of a few things, Bianca took a bad turn and immediately asked for an ambulance to take her to the hospital, which is very, very unusual as she always hated the sound of all emergency vehicles and wouldn't willingly get into an ambulance unless it were serious.

Anyway, in cutting to cut to the chase, Bianca was assessed at the Launceston General Hospital and tests revealed that she has liver cancer. How bad it is has yet to be determined, but hopefully tests next week will reveal that it is in the early stages and it can be treated without too many ill effects. The thing is, she is 26 and a fighter, so she has a good chance of beating it if the cancer hasn't progressed too far. Well that's the hope.

Now I don't know how many of you are religious or not, so I'll ask for hope and positive vibes... prayers from those who wish to pray.

Thanks all, your hopes and prayers are much appreciated. Bianca can use all the help she can get right now, as can Shaunna. Bianca is her only child, so this must be a particularly difficult time for her. Bianca is my step-daughter, well technically she isn't any more because Shaunna and I are no longer married, but I raised her from about age 6 and think of her as my own. More than that, she still calls me dad and I never stopped caring.

All we can do now is hope and pray. I hope the original diagnosis is wrong and pray it's something less ominous.

We've all known each other so many years in our virtual family...to read this just takes the wind out of my sails. So young, really just starting life! I still remember the pictures from the aquarium with Shaunna and the grandchildren.

Mark, Bianca, Shaunna: You have my best thoughts and prayers...I too hope for a different diagnosis.

My prayers and good thoughts go out to your family. We are fighting the same fight, but I'm 61and have had a chance to live my life. 26 is just too young but perhaps her young age will work in her favor. I'm pulling for you, young lady. You can beat this!

My mother had cancer. She had surgery, but I also think an alkaline diet helped her. No meat, alcohol, dairy, (sugar), (grains). I try to eat "alkaline" myself just because it makes me feel better.

Let me give you the full story.

When I wrote this my mother had already died. I left that part out because it had nothing to do with cancer. After having surgery my mom went back for different tests. Doctors told her everything looked fine and there was no indication of cancer. She had been lucky and the surgeon told her so, because she could have had multiple tumors and more organs affected.

I thought of this cancer as a blessing in disguise. I was worried for my mom for several years. She drank too much wine (everyday) and it seemed to affect her brain. This might not end well I thought.

Cancer changed everything. She stopped drinking wine and started eating alkaline. She and my dad put a lot of effort into their new lifestyle.

Doctors told her she was free from cancer. I looked at her and in my mind I just knew that she didn't have to worry about cancer.

My only worry was that she couldn't let go of the “cancer ghost”. My parents were planning a trip to Germany to a holistic cancer clinic, not because she had cancer, but more like prevention.

I thought this was unnecessary. But if they want to go to this clinic then why not. Just don't overdo it because you are already healthy, I thought.

My mother liked to swim in the sea and one day before going to Germany, she drowned while swimming. She was alone, but other people saw her and she was taken to the hospital. Unfortunately she had been in the water too long and she had severe brain damage.

My father and I decided to take her off life support after four days. She was asleep those four days, because if they took away the sleep medication she would get cramps and pain. There was no way to contact her. I am actually thankful her condition was that bad, because it made our decision easier. We were present one time they tried to awaken her, but I knew it was over.

This might seem like a tragic story and it is.

I take inspiration from the way she changed her lifestyle, eating habits and drinking habits and overcame cancer.

Sometimes surgery is needed, but I think the body can heal itself just by staying alkaline. The blood will always stay within a narrow pH-range but many other organs can become too acidic and then infections, tumors and other problems can arise. The pH-scale is not linear so even a tiny change in pH-level is a huge change.

Don't be afraid of the “cancer ghost”. Yes, it's serious, but people overcome cancer, even stage 4 cancer. It's not a sprint, it's a marathon. Doctors can give emergency help, but building a healthy body is a lifelong process.

There is too much profit (incredible profit) in promoting things like chemotherapy and too little profit in promoting healthy food. My mother was offered chemotherapy after surgery (to be on the safe side as they say). There was no real reason because her tests were good.

I am not in favor of chemotherapy because of side effects, but if my mother had said yes to chemo she wouldn't be able to swim which was what killed her. Life is crazy, but because I believe in God and that each person has a soul connected to God, I don't believe in random events.

Your daughter is young and should be able to recover. Take one day at a time. I hope and pray God will give you all the guidance you need in this situation. You can get through this together.

Thank you everyone for your kind words and prayers , yes it's been hard to see my baby girl going through all this and I feel useless as we both come to terms dealing with it . It's even harder when I was pregnant with Bianca my very first scan did not show 2 Babies 👶 it only showed 1 baby , it wasn't till I was 36 or 38 weeks that I had what I thought was a miscariage only to reveal I lost my son 😭, I can't loose her too. Life is so unfair, and I just pray everyday that god will heal her cos she has 6 children now and they need their mum(mom)... Thanks again guys and gals for your support its lovely to be here with my internet family and friends

Well I am back home after 2 nearly 3 months in Tasmania and yes the struggle seeing my baby girl going through this is so hard , we should find out more on May 4th but yes it is a long wait and I for one will be glad when its over with so that she can start her treatment, MRI scan showed that her liver is black in places.... And to think this all startaed with her having Hep C , while she was Pregnant with Abel she trod on a dirty needle and contracted this horried thing her former partner would never let her have the treatment to help keep it at bay and she was meant to have treatment and he wouldn't allow her to go ahead with it. so now she has to go through this on her own and the worst of it is some of her " FRIENDS" that was her friends now don't believe her anyway they not real friends that is what I told her. she was going out with a guy and he dummped her on Boxing day and was friends with her also but he has changed for the worst when he found out Bianca has got cancer .

Thanks for letting us know how she's going Mrs S... nothing worse than when your kids are sick...such a worry...

How could the ex stop her having treatment? .. she has to learn to stand up for herself more...

Times like these you certainly sort out the 'fairweather friends'... a good chance to rid yourself of spineless, toxic people around you and realise who your friends are with character...

Hope May 4th brings the best news possible...

No problems, the EX is the father of Abel and Abatha _Jane , and yes it's very hard , but the father was so controlling and she had to ask his permission every time, which is not a relation ship at all and thankfully he is no longer in the picture, and she now has some amazing friends that will stick by her , and of course she has Mark and I as well as all the family ....

Times like these you certainly sort out the 'fairweather friends'... a good chance to rid yourself of spineless, toxic people around you and realise who your friends are with character...

this is so true and I think she is finding that out since she has been told about the cancer , you certainly know who you're true friends are. Yes she makes or made some dumb decisions since finding out about the cancer but i can understand why , especially when she wants to party and get on the booze , it is because she wants to block out the fact that she is dying I know its not a good idea but this is how shes feels she has got to deal with it and yeah she is scared cos she don't know what will happen to her kids and she is scared of leaving them altho she says she is not afraid of dying.

it is because she wants to block out the fact that she is dying I know its not a good idea but this is how shes feels she has got to deal with it and yeah she is scared cos she don't know what will happen to her kids and she is scared of leaving them altho she says she is not afraid of dying.

well... she shouldn't count chickens before they're hatched... see what treatments they come up with in May..

but alcohol is a huge no no... gotta think of the kids when making decisions like that...

but alcohol is a huge no no... gotta think of the kids when making decisions like that...

That's what I said, no grog cos it can only harm an already damaged liver, but what do I know! It's hard enough seeing your kid with a serious illness, let alone their exacerbating it with less than sensible decisions.

My own daughter is in a similar situation; five kids and heart disease. She doesn't look after herself, either, and when she gets down and depressed she drinks to drown her sorrows. It never works, but I can't tell her so: "But dad, I need my time out..... "

I just got the dreaded call that I did not want to hear Bianca has stage 1 liver cancer and has been given 6 months to live but they are wanting to send her to Melbourne for treatment but she says she don't want treatment cos she is pregnant again she says for me not to rush back shes fine oh hell why am I being punished